SYATP- Wednesday, September 28, 2011

repost from last year: 9/22/10 SYATP

Last Sunday we were challenged to really worship.  Not just at church, but in our daily lives.  Our Sunday worship should be an out-pouring of the previous week.

Then, Doc explained to us that when we are worshiping,  Jesus is right in the middle of our worship. (if we are truly worshiping in spirit and truth)  He went on to explain that the angels and the Saints are in our midst as we worship.  Knowing that the Lord is in our presence when we worship is enough, but knowing that we are worshiping Him with the Saints, those that have gone before us, is pretty awesome!  After thinking about that, I realize that when I worship - I am worshiping with Old Testament Heroes! Ones like Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Ruth, Rahab, & Ester, and New Testament Heroes -  John- , Mary, Peter, Paul, and Timothy. I even thought about Heroes of the American Revolution like George Washington and Nathan Hale. And my grandparents, Uncle Jack,  Bro. Jerry, Mr. Jerry, Mr. Tom; my sweet student, Molly, Katie, our babysitter,  my precious friend, Sharon~ Wow! What a CROWD!!! How awesome is that!?!!

After mulling this around for a week or so, I can't help but be fired up about Wednesday Morning at Legacy Elementary School.  This Wednesday, September 22, 2010 is SYATP- See You AT The Pole.  This is the day that students, teachers, and parents all over our country and world meet before school at the flagpole to pray for the school year.  We will pray and sing praises to our King, then have a devotion to start our school day.  I can hardly wait!  It's so exciting!!! And you can be a part!!!  Just meet at your school flagpole! So I started thinking......who will be at our flagpole? Not just who I can see with my eyes, but who will be there worshiping with me that I can't see? Humm.... Who will be at your flagpole?  See you Wednesday!

2 Corinthians 4:19
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:22-24
 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel

Eph. 6:12 English Standard Version
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

September 11, 2001 We Will NEVER Forget!

I'll never forget when Lauren  came in my class and told me that the kindergarten teachers were watching TV in their pod because a plane hit one of those "tall towers in New York City."  I questioned her asking how could that happen- I remember asking, "How could the pilot not see those towers?". Assuming it was an accident involving a private aircraft, I began my day with my fifth grade class.
But not for long.  Phones began ringing. I was teaching at Apollo (without walls), and I could hear phones ringing all over the main building.  Before long, we (the teachers) were gathering at the edges of our classrooms where we could all discuss the information we were getting from the "outside" world.  We would teach a little, then huddle and talk, and pray, and teach some more.  (At one point during the day I thought the rapture would happen any minute, and I was getting excited.) But the day dragged on. We tried not to show our emotions to the students, but they began to "catch" on that something wasn't right. Having so many BAFB children at our school, we knew we couldn't explain the situation because they may become very alarmed.
Then the parents came to the school and began to check out their kids. The students that remained knew something was terribly wrong and wanted answers. Answers we did not have. I remember being told at one point that President Bush had landed at Barksdale Air Force Base.  I couldn't and didn't believe it! But it was true!
Fast forward nine years- Imagine trying to explain or "teach" a class of fourth graders who were infants at the time ( I know b/c Nate was an infant) of the attack about the events of 9/11.  With the exception of the military kids, many had no idea of the severity of the attack on our nation just nine years ago. I realize that they are young, however they are our future. Our children must know about the events of September 11, 2001, and how it changed our lives forever! They must know that we live in a nation where ordinary people became heroes that day!  I tried to explain to my own kids and my students that those Americans didn't wake up that morning and just "decide" to be a hero.  Those character traits were already developed.  I have a poster in my classroom that says, "Character- who you are when nobody is watching!" Those heroes had determination, loyalty, and devotion to their families and their country!!! It began to develop when they were children and continued to grow as they became adults. I'm sure they had no idea how things would unfold on the we will never forget, but their character was ready to handle any crisis with dignity and power. As I "preached" in my classroom yesterday- Iron sharpens Iron.  My prayer for my own kids, as well as my students,is that they will choose to cultivate friendships where they hold one another accountable and build each other up- hopefully possessing the same character traits as those who selflessly died on our behalf on 9/11/01.  WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

Here are a couple of the poems I wrote for my boys to recite at our American Heritage Poetry Contest. The first one is about Todd Beamer and the last one about Pat Tillman.

Pics of My Boys Reciting Poems about American Heroes!

Read a Good Book Lately?

What a relaxing long weekend!!! I love the beach, the sand, the waves, the sounds- I LOVE the BEACH! It is so relaxing, calming.  And what do you do on the beach? READ! (Well, the dolphins did give us a wonderful, private show two days in a row! And my friends and I do like to "people watch".) But, when we weren't watching the dolphins or the people, I was reading.

My sweet friend, Kasey, had loaned me a book, The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews.  I started reading it on Thursday and couldn't put it down. It was quite interesting to read, as it took place along the Gulf Coast between Gulf Shores and Pensacola.  Exactly where I was sitting - on that beautiful, white beach!  Pretty cool!  Then to read about the history included in the book during the early 1940s was amazing!


The Heart Mender is a book of history and forgiveness.  Under the title on the cover it says, "A Story of Second Chances". How cool is that?  This books traces how God always has a plan.  He is a God of second, and third, and fourth chances. He always forgives us even though we don't deserve it!  I encourage you to read this book and remember that we serve a forgiving and loving God who always sees the big picture.

*One side note- after briefly discussing this book with my dad, he said that he read a book that sounded much like it but had "something to do with an island". HA! It was previously published as Island of Saints. He had already read it!

Prayer Request:  My Uncle Dewey had a stroke this morning.  He is doing better and has been moved to a hospital in Little Rock. ( Thank you Lord for all you have done today for my family!)  Please continue to pray for him and his family and the doctors as they make decisions concerning his health.

Go find a good book to read and share it with someone you care about!

Limeades for Learning

We need your help!!!  Please vote for our project posted on Donor's Choose.org.  Sonic is helping fund projects posted by classroom teachers.  But we need your VOTE!  Please visit www.limeadesforlearning.com
and click "Find a Project".  Search by "location". State- Louisiana    district- Bossier-  School- Legacy Elementary- Project- "NIFTY Netbooks".  You must enter your email address to vote.  The first time you vote you will have to check your email to verify your address, then vote.  You have the option of having a reminder email sent to you daily so you can vote for your favorite project.  Each Friday, Sonic will fund the projects with the top votes.  So help us out if you can!  Then, keep checking to see if all of the projects at Legacy are funded. (Last year all of our projects were funded) Keep VOTING!!! Thanks so much!! Also, a special thank you to SONIC from all teachers!( Those Route 44s keep us going!)